Living In Escher's World

“I woke up in Escher's* world today, My mother said it was ok. Up's down, down is out, out is in, Stairways circle back to where you've been, Time falls, water crawls, are you listening?” (Steve Taylor)

 

Today I was driving 60-65 MPH on the freeway and a Toyota Prius passed me doing at least 80 MPH! I was shocked and amazed because I didn’t know that a Prius could do that…

 

That is until I discovered that as a Prius owner, you can purchase an after-market (optional) gas pedal to actually make the car drive the speed limit. Apparently, this Prius owner must have also added Nitro to his gas tank that morning!

 

My world was rocked; up was down and down was up! In was out and out was in! I WAS living in M.C. Escher’s world.

 

Now, lest you write me and let me know why a Prius is the greatest car since the Model T, I am just using satire to evoke a response.

 

You see, even as I write this satirically, there is a ring of truth in what I am saying. I AM living in Escher’s world. This is the age in which the Prophet Isaiah warned us about when he wrote:

 

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,

Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!” (Isaiah 5:20-23

 

This is the age where up is down and down is up and we need to wake up lest we get caught up in the tide and find ourselves on the highway of life being passed by a Prius. 

 

We're walking in Escher's world again,
Rise up you nimble-minded men.
We're wide awake within our dreams.
Birds roar, lions soar, sheep are cruel,
Snails pace, papers chase, midgets rule,
Stuffed shirts, Ethel Mertz, we ain't fooling.
Up's down, down is out, out is in, (we're living in Escher's world)
Time falls, water crawls, are you listening?
Stairways circle back to where you've been,
                               -Escher’s World by Steve Taylor

                                from the album Now The Truth Can Be Told

 

**Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) is one of the world's most famous graphic artists. He is most famous for his so-called impossible constructions such as Ascending and Descending and for his sketch of hands drawing hands.

 

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.